1. Visit Nagoya Castle

Even though the original buildings were destroyed during the World War II, Nagoya Castle was rebuilt and now stands as imposing as ever. Its white walls make a perfect contrast with the green roofs. Another highlight is represented by the two golden whales that can be found on the castle keep’s roof and on the top of other structures. The castle also has a garden which was designated as a place of scenic beauty. The garden has several cherry trees, attracting many tourists during spring.

Information

Price: 500 yen

Access: just outside Shiyakusho Station

Opening hour: 09:00

Closing hour: 16:30

Holiday: December 29 to January 1

Website: http://www.nagoyajo.city.nagoya.jp/13_english/index.html

2. Have fun at Nagashima Spa Land

Nagshima Spa Land is a big amusement park featuring a number of rides fitted for everyone, from thrilling rides to extreme ones. It boasts a huge roller coaster, Steel Dragon 2000, which spreads through the entire park. Nagshima Spa Land also houses hot springs and a water park with several pools and water slides. After enjoying all the rides, visitors can unwind and shop at Mitsui Outlet Park Jazz Dream Nagashima, a mall that has over 200 shops and restaurants.

3. Visit the Railway Museum

The SCMAGLEV and Railway Park is a museum in Nagoya owned by JR Central that is all about trains. The establishment has on display several types of train cars and locomotives, including old models. Many of the trains can be entered and explored or can be seen from below. There are also simulators where visitors can experience driving a train. A very interesting part of the museum is dedicated to maglev (magnetic levitation) trains, detailing JR’s plans of constructing such a train line between Tokyo and Osaka. Visitors can also enjoy train simulators,

Information

Price: 1000 yen

Access: just outside Kinjofuto Station

Opening hour: 10:00

Closing hour: 17:30

Holiday: on Tuesdays and December 28 to January 1

Website: http://museum.jr-central.co.jp/en/

4. Stroll Korankei Valley

Korankei Valley, located in Nagoya is best known for its autumn colors, being the best autumn leaf viewing spot in the area. The valley goes along Mount Iimori, which is home to Kojakuji Temple. The head priest of the temple planted maple trees in the valley more than 400 years ago. Visitors today can see the beautiful trees that are now fully grown. The highlight of the valley is Taigetsukyo, a vermillion bridge that looks amazing next to the colored trees.

5. Shop in Sakae

Sakae is a shopping district close to Nagoya Station that features hundreds of shops in several malls and department stores, like Parco, Annex, Sunshine Sakae, Oasis 21, Central Park, Midland Square, etc. There are products for everybody: women and men fashion, jewelry, toys, books, souvenirs, electronics and beauty goods. After shopping, visitors can ride the Ferris wheel at Sunshine Sakae or dine at the many restaurants and cafes that can be found through the area.

6. Visit Inuyama Castle

Inuyama Castle is smaller than other castles in Japan but nevertheless interesting. Constructed by Oda Nobunaga in 1537, it is said to be the oldest castle in the country. It is one of the 12 original castles that survived wars and natural disasters with some of their buildings still intact. The castle is located in a very picturesque area, on a small hill next to Kiso River. The top floor offers amazing views of the river and the surrounding area.

Information

Price: 500 yen

Access: a 15 minute walk from Inuyama Station

Opening hour: 09:00

Closing hour: 17:00

Holiday: December 29 to 31

Website: http://www.inuyamajohb.org/index01.html

7. See Nagoya from above

What better way of wrapping a day of walking and visiting that relaxing in an observatory? Seeing this big city from above is quite impressive. The perfect place where you can do this is at Midland Square, which is Nagoya’s tallest building. The top three floors house the Sky Promenade, an observatory that offers panoramic views of the city. Several landmarks can be seen such as Nagoya Castle, the JR Central Towers, and Nagoya Port.

Information

Name: Sky Promenade

Price: 750 yen

Access: just outside Nagoya Station

Opening hour: 11:00

Closing hour: 22:00

Holiday: none

Website: http://www.midland-square.com/english/index.html

8. Visit Osu Kannon Temple

Osu Kannon is a Buddhist Temple in central Nagoya. The temple enshrines Kannon the Goddess of Mercy, which is one of the most important figures in Buddhism. It is believed that when people die in our world, they are guided by Kannon to the other world. This is why many people come to the temple to ask the Goddess for salvation. The temple also attracts many tourists thanks to the flea market that is held every month on the 18th and 28th. Many items can be found at the market, making it the perfect place to hunt for souvenirs.

Information

Price: free

Access: just outside Osu Kannon Station

Opening hour: always open

Holiday: none

Website: http://www.ohsu.co.jp/kan_e.html

9. Visit Atsuta Shrine

Atsuta Shrine is among the most important Shinto establishments of Japan as it enshrined the Sun Goddess Amaterasu and stores Kusanagi, a sacred sword that is part of the three imperial regalia. The shrine is located in a pleasant park in Nagoya city and is the most visited shrine in the area. The shrine grounds include a treasure house, a Noh theater, and an impressive 1,300 year old camphor tree. Besides walking around, visitors can also enjoy Atsuta Shrine’s own version of the kishimen noodles, a famous dish in Nagoya.

Information

Price: free

Access: just outside Jingumae Station

Opening hour: always open

Holiday: none

Website: http://www.atsutajingu.or.jp/en/intro/

10. Eat local food

Aichi is famous for many dishes, such as miso katsu (pork slices dipped in breadcrumbs and served with a fermented soybeans sauce), hitsumabushi (marinated and barbecued eel), uirou (sweets made from rice powder), tebasaki (marinated and fried chicken wings) or tenmusu (battered and fried shrimp rice ball). You can eat these delicious foods at restaurants and food stalls all across the area.

11. Visit Nagoya City Science Museum

The Nagoya City Science Museum is located in the heart of the city and has many interesting attractions. Its main highlight is the planetarium, which is one of the world’s largest. The rest of the museum has several exhibitions which teach visitors about science through experiments. The experiments are unfortunately only in Japanese, but it is nevertheless extremely interesting watching them. Each floor has a different theme such as “Discovering the Earth”, “Human Body”, “Principles of Nature” or “Matter and Energy”.

Information

Price: 400 yen

Access: a 10 minute walk from Fushimi Station

Opening hour: 09:30

Closing hour: 17:00

Holiday: December 29 to January 3

Website: http://www.ncsm.city.nagoya.jp/en/

12. Go to Sakushima Island

Sakushima is an island located close to Nagoya that became popular in the recent years after several modern art sculptures where placed around the island. The island has other attraction as well, such as temples and shrines, rocky coasts and beaches. There are also festivals held every year, like the Taiko Festival or Yokaku Matsuri. The best part is that visitors can rent bicycles and explore the area in a comfortable way. Bicycles can be rented at either West Port or East Port.

13. Learn about the area’s history

The best place to learn about Aichi’s history is at Meiji Mura, an open air museum located in Inuyama. The museum displays historical buildings from the Meiji period (1867–1912), Taisho period (1912–1926) and early Shōwa period (1926–1989). The buildings are very interesting because from the Meiji period, the Japanese began using western elements in their architecture. You will notice a lot of buildings that have both Japanese and Western influences. There is also a bus which runs across the village to make visiting easier.

14. Walk the Tokomane Path of Chinaware

The Tokoname Path of Chinaware, also called the “Pottery Path” is an alley located in the city of Tokomane which is very famous for pottery. Visitors can observe many pottery items such as jars placed along the way, kilns made from ceramics or brick chimneys. The town has a very nostalgic atmosphere and walking along this path will make you experience the feeling of going back to the days when pottery flourished in the area.

15. Visit the Toyota Factory

The famous car producer Toyota offers factory tours to show visitors the manufacturing process. Tours are held daily from Monday to Friday in both English and Japanese. A tour lasts for about two hours during which several car building processes are shown. Tours are free of charge, but an advance reservation is needed. Next to the factory stands the Toyota Kaikan Museum where the company displays its latest car models.

Information

Price: free

Access: a 10 minute walk from Mikawa-Toyota Station

Tour hour: 11:00 to 13:00

Holiday: on weekends, during the New Year, Golden Week and Obon holidays